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Kuroda Stays in Pinstripes

NEW YORK (AP) _ Trying to get under baseball’s luxury tax by
2014, the New York Yankees don’t mind spending big as long as it’s
on one-year deals.

New York filled one of the slots in its rotation Tuesday,
agreeing to a $15 million, one-year contract with No. 2 starter
Hiroki Kuroda as they await a decision from Andy Pettitte on
whether he wants to return in 2013.
“It something that I think fits how we’ve operated here in the
last number of years, to do short-term circumstances on high-end
players,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.
The Yankees will pay the luxury tax on high payrolls for the
10th straight season this year and will hand over more tax money in
2013. But they say they want to get under 2014’s threshold of $189
million, which would enable them to get some of their
revenue-sharing dollars back. That’s why a one-year deal made sense
for Kuroda, a right-hander who turns 38 in February.

He was the Yankees’ most consistent pitcher during the regular
season. He went 16-11, tying for the team lead in wins, and led New
York with 33 starts and 219 2-3 innings.
Cashman called the agreement “a relief.”
“Hiroki Kuroda chose us on a lesser deal last year and I
suspect he’s done the same again this year,” Cashman said. “By
coming here, I suspect that he left money on the table. I suspect
it was a very aggressive market on him, and I think it is a
reflection of he really enjoyed playing here for this city, for
this team, for this organization and with these teammates to come
back under the circumstances he’s coming back on.”

After losing six of his first nine decisions, Kuroda finished
with a 3.32 ERA that was second among New York starters behind
Pettitte’s 2.87.
“I am very happy and excited to re-sign with the Yankees,”
Kuroda said in a statement. “I am very grateful for all of the
interest and all of the offers that I received from the various
teams that courted me. It was a tough decision for me to make, but
at the end of the day, I wanted to try to win a championship with
the teammates that I went to battle with last season.”

Kuroda joined the Yankees after four seasons with the Los
Angeles Dodgers, was given a $10 million base salary last season
and earned $1 million more in performance bonuses based on innings.
He turned down a $13.3 million qualifying offer from the Yankees,
and he would have cost a new team a selection in June’s amateur
draft.

He joins CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova in the Yankees’
projected starting rotation for next season, with David Phelps also
a possibility.

Pettitte, who came out of retirement to rejoin the Yankees,
hasn’t decided whether he wants to play next year. Cashman won’t
say how long he’ll wait.
“Of course, obviously, there’s an answer to that question but
not one I’m prepared to answer,” he said.

NOTES: Cashman said SS Derek Jeter is progressing from surgery
to repair his broken ankle. “By opening day he’s supposed to be
ready and full speed,” he said. … Cashman is talking with
Mariano Rivera about a new contract and doesn’t have any concerns
about the closer’s recovery from a torn knee ligament. Rivera turns
43 next week. “Mo’s never failed. He’s never had a failure in his
career,” Cashman said. … RHP Michael Pineda, recovering from
shoulder surgery, isn’t being counted on for the start of the
season. He threw on flat ground at Yankee Stadium last week. “He
had zip on it,” Cashman said.